Posted By Thomas Todd On June 9, 2013 @ 4:48 pm In Giants | No Comments

Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval left Saturday’s game in Arizona after the third inning with a sore foot. Now, as Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area reports[1], the injury has Panda back in a walking boot may put him on the shelf. Sandoval said his foot is still “very sore” after Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks, where he sat in favor of Joaquin Arias.

Before the injury kept him out of a weekend series in St. Louis June 1-2 the Panda had been mired in a wicked slump, including a six-game stretch where he was 0-21. Upon returning to the lineup Pablo seemed to put the slump behind him, collecting four hits in his last four starts.

This is the second time this season a Giants player looked to be breaking out of a slump only to succumb to injury. Ryan Vogelsong had his best start of the season against the Washington Nationals before taking a pitch off his pinky finger. Vogey is on the 60-day DL and can’t return until after the All-Star break.

If Sandoval is out for a significant amount of time, expect a lot of Arias at the hot corner. When Sandoval went down in 2012 with a hamate bone injury, the veteran utility infielder became an everyday player. Arias has been on base just 14 times in 60 plate appearances this season, but that didn’t stop Bruce Bochy hitting him in the No. 5 spot. Ahead of Brandon Belt. #Blet.

Get well Panda. People will look stupid in those hats if you’re not around.